Freeman to discuss transparency, Freedom of Information law Wednesday

Monday

Oct 17, 2016 at 5:49 PMOct 17, 2016 at 7:06 PM

BENJAMIN MEHIC

UTICA – Now more than ever, the concept of transparency has become a focal point in the media. What might the government be hiding? What kind of information do citizens have access to, that they might not even know about?

Those are the sort of questions Robert Freeman, executive director of the state Committee on Open Government, will attempt to answer when he speaks about the state’s Freedom of Information law from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Utica College’s Carbone Auditorium. Admission is free and light refreshments will be served.

"I've seen Bob (Freeman) speak and he really knows how to capture an audience,” Ron Johns, executive editor of the O-D, said. “He cites real-life examples of the law in action, and the outcomes, showing how it works for everyone – not just news organizations."

The Freedom of Information law, often referred to as FOIL, grants people the right to obtain certain records from government agencies, ranging from official emails to law enforcement data.

Freeman, who helped write the current version of the law has been helping journalists, members of the public and municipalities navigate its complexities since the first version was enacted in 1974.

In that time, his office has written more than 25,000 advisory opinions, a fact Utica College journalism professor Brett J. Orzechowski says speaks to two things: “one, how often people use FOIL and two, how important FOIL is.”

“People forget that FOIL is a statute that anybody can use,” Orzechowski said.

“I’ve always felt as if it’s the second most important tool for journalists and citizens behind the First Amendment when it comes to unlocking any type of information that should be public,” he added. “Anybody can use FOIL to unlock information, even information about themselves that you may or may not know the government is collecting. You have a right to that”